Hope
by citigirl13
Summary: "Hope. It keeps you alive. Even when you think you've lost it. Even when you're dead. It keeps you alive." Damon trying to persuade Elena not to sacrafice herself. Short one-shot.


**This story came out of the blue. Just this morning I was suffering from MAJOR writer's block when this story popped into my head and I couldn't let it go. I won't say it's brilliant, but it's sweet and I think ultimately I like how it turned out. I've been re-watching season two which is why this story is set during then (hopefully that'll be obvious)**

**ANYWAY, enough blabbering. Hope you enjoy the story!**

**DISCLAIMER:**** I do not own The Vampire Diaries or any of the characters**

**xXx**

**Hope **

"_Didn't you hear me? I don't want to be saved." _

How much time has passed since she said those words? It can only have been a minute, maybe even seconds, but it feels like an eternity. Elena's eyes flicker from the brothers as they attempt to understand what she's saying. It's not as if she's explaining how clouds are formed. It's easy.

"But Elena," Stefan says. He places his arms on the counter, trying to peer into her eyes. His forehead is creased with worry. "Don't you understand what we're saying? We can stop the sacrifice. Bonnie can figure out a spell that will break the curse-"

"Oh yeah?" Elena's voice is near breaking point but she fights forward. "What about after, when Klaus finds out what you've done? He'll kill you all for interfering."

"And he'll kill _you _if we don't interfere." Damon's voice is finally heard, though Elena's not surprised. Damon's not one to keep his opinions to himself.

"He might kill me anyway because we stopped it. Either way it looks like I'll die-" both brothers flinch at her words "-so I might as well save as many people as I can."

"It's not your job to save people!"

"It's neither of your jobs to save me!" Elena snaps. Suddenly she can't bear to look at either of them anymore: to see Stefan's anxious fighting-off-heartbreak face and Damon's inched over in denial. She shoves herself off the stool and storms off to her bedroom.

She shuts the door and – because she doesn't have a lock – puts a chair underneath the handle. Maybe that'll send the message that she doesn't want to talk. She throws herself down on the bed, burying her head under a pillow. She wants to have a good long cry, one that makes you feel much better after you've done it. In truth she likes crying, and sometimes she'll read sad books or watch sad films to make her bawl. Don't ask her why. She doesn't want to think about what that says about her. Despite what she wants, she can't cry, because the Salvatores will hear and right now the last thing she wants is their sympathy. So she grabs hold of Teddy and squeezes him tight, as if he can keep the bad monsters away.

She's almost calm when, of course, there's a knock on her door. Elena doesn't say anything but brings her knees forward, determined not to answer the door. The handle is turned but the chair does its work and the door doesn't budge.

Elena thinks of Stefan's voice, quiet and soothing and trying to be understanding. She thinks perhaps it would make her feel better when the voice of the other brother comes through. "Elena..." he calls in a sing-song voice.

She rolls her eyes and buries herself back on the bed. Of course. _Damon_. She's not the person she wants to see right now. He has a habit of making everything worse for her – inviting himself to family barbecues so she would have to put up with him, trying to kill Caroline, _actually _killing Jeremy... The list goes on, until the point where Elena throws it down because she's so tired of reading it. It's a shame, because before Katherine returned she was sure she could see a decent side of him. It was there, the image wavering as if it was a photograph being held over a candle, but it was in sight. Elena had thought maybe he was okay – someone that she could trust. But it was a mirage. Clearly Damon's been like this for so long he doesn't know how to change.

He's still there, persistently knocking on the door. "Open the door Elena. I'm not moving until you do."

He stays there for a little bit, knocking on the door at different rhythms as if he's trying out new drums. Even though she swore she wasn't going to talk, Elena finds her patience wearing thin. She throws the pillow off her head and yells, "Shut up Damon!"

She can almost see him smirk and knows that he's counting her talking as a victory. "I'm not leaving until you open this door," he informs her. "And I don't age, remember? I also don't need to eat or drink... I can wait you out."

Still Elena doesn't budge. Surely he won't stay there forever. He can't go too long without needing a drink at the bar – or more accurately needing blood. She lies against the headboard. He'll leave soon.

He must predict what she's thinking because he says, "No one else is in the house y'know. Stefan left to talk to Bonnie and Jenna and Jeremy aren't here. So I _could _break down the door." Once again she can feel his smile, so strong it reaches her through the wall. "Might be in danger of getting splinters, but I think it would be worth the risk."

She can't take it any longer. She's already on edge with the fight and Damon being Damon has pushed her off it. She kicks the chair down and flings the door open –

- and he's nowhere to be seen.

Elena ducks her head out in the hallway, glancing both ways. She listens too, but the dark vampire seems to have disappeared. Her annoyance increases – _bloody typical. _To vent her anger she slams the door shut and whirls round –

- and of course. Why had she not expected it? He's on her bed, hand behind his head and holding Teddy on his stomach. He smirks at her in triumph and grudgingly Elena has to give points for style – she didn't expect that.

She folds her arms, assuming the defensive gesture. "What do you want Damon?"

"Katherine's painful death, my brother to stop being so broody all time, rainbows, unicorns, world peace – actually scratch the last one, that would be way too boring." He waves the hand holding Teddy in the air and Elena wants to yank him away from the bad vampire. "But right now I want you not to go on a whole suicide mission."

She smiles with humour, shaking his head as if she can't believe him. "When are you and Stefan going to get it? I don't want to be saved Damon. For God sake let me make my own choice."

His blue eyes are steely when she says that. "No," he says, so determined that Elena almost finds herself believing him.

She meets his gaze with her own resolved look. "You can't stop me."

Suddenly he appears in front of her. She can't help but shift back, but she takes a small victory in not taking a step back. "Oh yeah?" he asks quietly. It makes his voice more menacing. "I'm not so sure about that."

Elena gives him an amused look. "What are you going to do to stop me?"

He quirks his head, seeming to think about it. "I was thinking along the lines of killing everyone you love, y'know, pulling a Klaus."

She doesn't believe him. Not at first. But when she looks at his face without a trace of humour and a slightly crazed glint in his eye she realises he means it. "You wouldn't," she says, her face giving away how incredulous she is.

"I would."

She gives a little gasp at his audacity. "No you _wouldn't _Damon. You're too good for that."

His eyes widen as he leans forward slightly. "Try me."

He's serious. Elena gives herself a moment to process that Damon will kill all the people she loves if she doesn't cooperate. She can't believe it. She's not even sure if he would do it. But the threat is laid boldly on the table and she can't ignore it. She tosses her head upwards and responds. "You wouldn't succeed. Bonnie would stop you. So would Caroline and Alaric. And I don't think Stefan would let you get away with it. Face it Damon – you wouldn't succeed."

For a brief moment she sees his face flash with annoyance – no, fury, at being outsmarted. She wants to take a step back when she sees this but a second later it's smooth again. "How about this? If you kill yourself, then I'll kill myself too."

The room is silence as the two keep eye contact. "You're not serious," Elena says after a few moments.

"Wanna bet?"

She gives a groan in frustration. "Seriously Damon stop this! You're being so dramatic-"

"And you're not?" he snaps back. "You're not the only one allowed to be a martyr Elena. If you die then I'll take off my ring and walk into the sun and let myself burn. It'll be painful. You'll have that on your conscience too."

"I'll be _dead _Damon."

"And because it's you I know that even dead you'll still somehow manage to feel guilty."

He's right. His shoulders droop in defeat when she realises that he's hit home. She won't kill herself if she knows she'll be dragging Damon down with her. She still attempts to fight on though, because she's Elena and she can't leave it like that. "How do I know you're serious? You've had plenty of chances to die before now."

His face changes in a second. All of a sudden he looks very sad and remorseful. Her heart pricks and she instantly feels sorry for him, even though a little voice in her head is telling her to be strong and not let him get to her. "I've wanted to die since 1864." He shrugs as if they're having a normal conversation, but he doesn't quite manage to pull it off. "At least this way it'll be an interesting death."

The fight is completely forgotten about. Elena's arms drop to her sides and she stares at him, as if he's a puzzle that she's trying to solve. She doesn't ask _why_. In some ways that's obvious: Katherine, becoming a vampire against his will... It's not a surprise. In fact Elena's suspected Damon's wanted to die for a long time.

Instead she finds herself asking another question. "Then why are you still alive?" As soon as she's said it she wants to take it back. How awful does _that _sound?

She thinks she'll maybe hear _Katherine _or _Stefan _because they are the only two reasons she can think of. But instead Damon's eyes grow even sadder, the blue like too pools. He gives her a smile, one she's not really seen before – it's sad but it's wistful too. "Hope," he says. "It keeps you alive. Even when you think you've lost it entirely. Even when you're _dead_. It keeps you alive."

The conversation is over. Elena can't say anything else after that revelation; she can't even argue. She freezes as he goes towards the door, leaving her stunned. Honestly by now it's becoming a habit.

"Okay." She doesn't even realise what she's said until he's turned around and facing her. He watches her almost warily, as if she's going to snatch this gift away from him. She turns her body round to him. "But I'm fighting for you, not for me."

His gift to her is a tiny smile. "Same."


End file.
